1032 MK. A. LOVKiunaE: notes on 



76. Maxeua marchali Boisd. (Ophiclerinse : Noctuida9). 

 Whilst in the garden my wife's attention was drawn to some- 

 thing moving amongst tlie dead leaves. A rolled-vip leaf 

 19x8 mm. Avas making progress by a series of little jumps. 

 Placed on a tablecloth, it journeyed first in one direction and 

 the)i in another quite aimlessly. On opening the leaf a tlattish 

 moth larva Avas found. (Kilosa ,12. iv. 22.) 



On opening the leaf I found the maggot-like larva had pupated. 

 (Kilosa, 24. iv. 22.) 



On going to the box in which I had placed the chrysalis, 

 I was sorry to find the small brown moth had emerged some time, 

 as it was already dry ; the time taken for development was thus 

 extremely short. (Kilosa, 5. v. 22.) 



77. Anaphis reticulata Walk. (ISTotodontidie). Last November 

 I found the cocoon of a wild gregarious silk-moth. I'he cocoon is 

 a khaki-coloured, strongly-woven structure 190 mm. (7^ inches) 

 in length and 110 mm. (4| inches) in diameter at the broadest 

 part. Through its axis passes a branch of the food-plant, whose 

 twigs and leaves are incorporated with the mass of silk. At the 

 upper end are two chimneys or funnels protruding 20 mm. (| in.) 

 from the surface of the pear-shaped cocoon. Through these the 

 moths emerge at dusk and for two hours afterwards. I never 

 recollect seeing any emerge after 9 p.m., though doubtless they 

 occasionally do so. 



The business-like hurry with Avhich the moths emerge, as if 

 accustomed to do so all their lives, is quite amusing. The head 

 of each moth as it emerges is protected by a little helmet of 

 shamrock- shape, each of Avhose " leaves " is deeply concave. This 

 helmet is, of course, part of the head-piece of the chrysalis, and 

 serves to protect the eyes and delicate head of the moth as 

 it pushes its Avay out of the funnel. As soon as the head 

 was clear of the funnel, up went a pro-leg and gave a push 

 to the mask, Avhich fell to the ground ; quite a heap of these 

 were found each morning almost immediately beneath the 

 funnels. 



Moving hurriedly and crabAvise the insect then travels from the 

 funnel to the under side of the cocoon, where it hangs whilst its 

 crumpled and draggled wings open out, develop), and take shape, 

 the brown lines on the creamy ground becoming clearly defined. 

 The wings Avere then raised above the back in the position of 

 those of a butterfly ; from time to time they Avere shivered, 

 apparently to test their muscles. After hardening, they are 

 brought to the usual position of a moth at rest, lying one across 

 the other upon the back, forming approximately a triangle. If 

 disturbed at all the moth discharges a pinkish excretion, and 

 this fluid leaves with such force that I should think it carries a 

 distance of quite nine inches from the moth. 



Theoretically this is the middle of the rainy season, but there 

 have been no rains recently ; nevertheless three of the moths 



